Malanga Cafe

Ordered a palomilla ($ 12) it comes with two sides so I asked for rice and beans … The black beans were over seasoned with bay leaves and the palomilla beef was dry and so thin you almost can see thru it … I expected a little more beef for the price they charge … also ordered side of maduros (sweet fried platains) those were $ 3 … The restaurant is small but nicely decorated … the waitresses are very polite… but the food is way over priced For the small portion they serve I left hungry and felling ripped off !!

This place was great! The food was great and the atmosphere was even better. Small and cozy place with great service.

This is the fourth time we have tried to give this restaurant a try. Every time they disappoint us. The service is extremely lacking quality and knowledge. The food is not cooked well. Not served at acceptable temperature and definitely not up to par with the other Cuban restaurants available. We will NEVER go there again.

I had the pleasure of taking my girlfriend to Malanga on a weekday for lunch
We were the first ones there and after a little while people started to trickle in
We ordered a pan con lechon, vaca frita sandwich, and yuca fries
All of which were delicious
The staff were extremely friendly and very attentive to our needs
The food was fresh, delicious, and the presentation was also very beautiful
We were both stuffed by the end of the meal
I’m also a big fan of the ambiance inside
They had great music, the decorations on the wall were great, and the tables were also pretty nice
I definitely will come back in the future
Looking back on the occasion, I couldn’t tell you what was lacking
It’s a well deserved 5 stars
Happy New Year

I have been a loyal customer and think one of the few that really liked this place and gave it what I believed was great ratings compared to all. But, I must now have to agree with my fellow Unilocalers and take away stars from my review. Restaurant is closed from December 22^nd to 26^th! What kind of Cuban Restaurant closes before Cuban Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) and you can’t even order takeout from! And the person that answered the phone had an attitude that just doesn’t do well with me! Sorry Malanga your food was really good at the start of the restaurant, then gradually gotten worse and now this, doesn’t merit even a star! Really sad to see this attitude from my Latin culture.

In need of some refueling during Christmas shopping, I decided to stop in at Malanga Café, having read in the Miami Herald that it had one of the best pan con lechon sandwiches in Greater Miami. When you are arriving, you are greeted by a sign heralding the sandwich as world’s best. I, for one, never like to see the adjective world’s best on anything, as it tends to usually disappoint me. We dined on an early Wednesday afternoon and the place was not too crowded. Service was prompt and friendly. Easy listening Latin music wafted over the speakers. The opening app of ceviche was tartly tasty, but was overpriced for the meager amount which was rendered. Sides of black beans and rice and tostones were «just ok». The pan con lechon was given a «very good» rating by my Cubana wife. I found it to have a generous amount of pork, but I found it to be a little drier than I expected. I requested some mojo from the server, and she brought a type of au jus which I’m guessing were the drippings of the pork cooking process. This sauce soaked nicely into the pork and the bread and sent the sandwich over the top into the very good category for me. Now as for worlds best, I have memories of my uncle-​in-​laws preparing pork slow roasted for parties, the leftovers of which made for GREAT pan com lechon which were better than Malanga’s. However, this place definitely beats the generic Cuban chain food of Versailles or La Carreta. So I would agree with the Herald’s estimation of one of the best sandwiches in Miami. The meal was topped off with a surprisingly delicious and moist tres leches cake. All in all, we had a pleasant dining experience. I would give Malanga’s 3.5 stars, and would visit again based on its proximity to my home.

Disclaimer: Look, don’t make me have to write all that again. Plain and simple, I am reviewing the restaurant. Not the Republican Party. Not anything else. Including, yet not limited to, any assumptions or correlation on my part between the Republican Party, the owners of this restaurant and/​or their employees. Nor is the star issuance influenced by anything other than what I will list down below. The Republicans last night were very lucky the restaurant was changed at the last minute. Otherwise, I would have received a Tweet from the RNC, kicking me out of the Republican Party. I refuse to bullshit anyone. I know exactly the restaurant we were originally intended to go to.
But first, permítanme un párrafo en español bien breve.
Querido (s) Dueño (s) de Malanga Café:
Lo haré en español bien rápido, por sea caso. Porque si hablan inglés, por favor. mi intento no es ofender a nadie, me dará el patatún ahora mismo. Lo primero que me dije, simplemente con abrir la puerta, «¡ESTO! Lo hizo un cubano.» Se la comieron con la decoración. La auténtica sabrosa comida y la amabilidad genuina de todos sus empleados, se merece un Unilocal.Por mi parte por lo menos, quiero darle las gracias por permitirnos usar su restaurante completo. Eso, sin embargo, no influyó la emisión de estrellas. Ni en parte o en su totalidad.
This is as Cuban as you’re gonna get here in Miami folks. Seriously… if the name «malanga» doesn’t ring a bell of what this restaurant is, once you exit your vehicle and walk towards the front door, you will be schooled immediately. Right next to their front door is a permanent black board. On it are listed all the Cuban favorites. Sideways, right side up, upside down; on it is any dish or item «we» just must have in our lives. BUT WAIT! That’s not all.
You open the door and enter a rather small restaurant. In the far wall is a «mural-​like thing» depicting pictures of many Cuban Icons with a Cuban Flag. It’s not just Celia Cruz, by the way. Some are not even remembered anymore. Gracias por eso. Me trajo recuerdos. This restaurant is not the same ambiance/​décor that you will find everywhere in Hialeah. This restaurant is «something» you «may» only see in our more expensive trendy neighborhoods closer to the bay.
Then I’m minding my own business listening keenly to what our agreed mutual hopeful had to say when I noticed something. «¡COÑO! Mira esa pared,» I said quietly to myself from within. One entire wall, to my left where I was sitting, is filled with ALL the Cuban Cliches known to My Peoples. Literally, all of them.
Throughout the restaurant are more memorabilia. Preferred by Cuban musical instruments scattered throughout. The Emblem to the Island of Cuba is painted simply in the middle of their very high ceilings.
We had a limited brilliantly written menu with choices. You know? I haven’t said it in a while. Every restaurant has their «thing.» You don’t go to a Cuban Restaurant and order something that isn’t typical of Cuban Cuisine. That’s like going to a Chinese Restaurant and ordering a pizza and expecting it to be ten stars worthy. So, I went with pork because if any Cuban Restaurant can’t make pork correctly…
Beautifully presented on a plate, topped with perfectly grilled onions, I took my first bite. Like I didn’t already know, I asked. Yup… their Chef is Cuban. Only a Cuban can make those flavors on a dead pig possible. It was delicious.
Their moros weren’t bad. Just the expected moros anywhere. The tostones were good. The flan, was to die for. This is not the typical flan you get perfectly round out of a tin foil at any Hispanic Restaurant. No, someone made an entire pie and sliced it into large triangles. Yeah…
So, because they boast everywhere in their restaurant about their Pan con Lechón, I ordered one to-​go. I haven’t had it yet but it smells delicious and it’s very «different.» The only thing you really should know, this is not served in Cuban Bread. If you have ever purchased a loaf at the local bakery, you know, one second it’s soft as a petal and before you smear the butter on it, you can kill someone with it. So, I’m sure that’s the reasoning.
Very nice secluded outdoor patio. I hope it’s being used to its full potential of endless possibilities. I would. Parking isn’t bad here. We were just an abnormally large group that hit them all at once. There are five flat screen TVs in the dining room that made our viewing effortless no matter where we were sitting. THANKS por los subtitulos. Estoy sordo p’al carajo.
Yeah…I’m going to get kicked-​out of the Republican Party.

Had to wait 15 minutes for Malanga soup drove home to downtown Half hour away. Soup was sour called spoke Roberito they wouldn’t refund my CC and owner he wouldn’t give his name cotuined to curse at me, was rude and also threatening to me.
Accusing me of trying to get soup and flan for free. I stated I only wanted a refund cause soup was bad, that I usually buy 2 – 3 Malangs soups and never had this issue.
Nevertheless he wouldn’t credit my card had to cxl the whole transaction.
Horrible experience this restaurant used to be good in the past however lately it’s just another example of how to lose your loyal repeat customers. Food is food.
CUSTOMERS ARE ROOT TO SUCCESS.

I always pass this place & wanted to eat here, with my luck they ended up on living social.
The vaca frita de pollo is everything. I don’t know the yellow sweet sauce that was on my plate but it was so delicious. Our waiter was really nice & upbeat. He forgot my wine & once he noticed he came back with my glass filled to the rim. I wasn’t mad at all, can’t wait to eat here again.

I won’t give them 2 stars because it wasn’t terrible but I have definitely experienced better Frituras de Malanga. They were a bit bland, didn’t have the chopped onions I’m used to having them with and they didn’t offer any garlic juice with them. My friend and I also tried the ‘Cuban Nachos’ which were big tostones topped with chicken and chopped tomatoes and other goodies. They were pretty good and would have them again. I’ll have to visit again to try other dishes to change the review to a better one.

Good was great! Service was great! Not sure what are the other reviews are about but my kids and I really enjoyed everything. The portions are huge!
The kids chicken steak and rice was bigger than most adult portions.
I had a cheeseburger and it was very good also.

I’ll admit, I am not that well versed in true Cuban cuisine, but I liked it a lot. I was there with a friend on Wednesday night (9÷9÷15 at about 8pm) and we both enjoyed the ambiance, drinks, and food. Service was very good and they were very attentive to us. I’m actually going back tonight so I’ll provide an update.
Never completely judge a place on 1 visit. But so far, a solid 4 out 5 stars!
The update: Went back in 9÷12÷15 at about 7:30pm. It was a Saturday night so naturally they were very busy and we waited maybe 5 minutes for a table. The ambiance is great, and on one wall they have a bunch of written inside jokes that only Cubans would understand which I think adds to the charm of the place. Ended up having a 2hr dinner. Just had great company. We never felt rushed. I had the fish of the day which was Mahi Mahi and it was very good. My friend had grilled chicken breast with house sauce and onion. Very nice flavor but a little dry. The Sangria is delicious! Excellent service! Definitely going back!

**Do not waste your time going to this place** Horrible customer service** No worth your hard earned money** Stay Away**
I live in Oakland Park, Fl and yesterday I drove 50 miles to celebrate my dad birthday because he loves pork. It was a party of 7 and we arrived there was no parking. The waiting time was over 30 minutes and the owner had a nasty attitude. There were tables available, all they have to do was push them together, even after telling him how far we have drive to just eat at his restaurant., he replied «well if you have to wait you have to wait. I will never returned and regret picking this place. Their website say you throw a rock in Miami and chances are you will hit a Cuban restaurant, well To be honest, of the all the restaurant in Miami combined will never miss treat you they way they did.

If I could I would have given a ZERO rating for my experience here. I have never given a bad review to anyone since I have been with Unilocal! This food was disgusting. The churrasso was tasteless and they didn’t even have the chimichuri sauce to disguise the funk of the meat. The boiled yucca had an old oil taste (like they used old reused oil from frying something). The rice tastes old and hard not fresh at all. The black beans were watery and tasteless. The best thing was my Pinot Grigo drink and my daughter’s Mango shake. The manager noticed me not eating the food and I told her I couldn’t eat it it was so gross. She only charged me for our drinks… I don’t know because it was late (700p on a Thursday) and we got the leftovers but I can’t believe I was served this horrible old food.
Taco Bell here I come!!! POLLO TROPICAL has better flavor than this food! DON’T EVEN BOTHER! YOU WILL REMEMBER THIS COMMENT ABOUT THIS DISGUSTING FOOD. I SHOULD HAVE READ THE REVIEWS FIRST!!! UUUGGGHHHH GROSS​.COM

The restaurant is pretty cool has a lot of cool Cuban history all over the walls and really nice decoration. The spot is not big its cozy if you have to put a name to it.
I ordered the Pan Con Lechon which is supposed to be the worlds best. It was OK no where near worlds best. I was expecting something with more of a traditional taste. Some type of juicy mojo marinated pork with onions and the works. But unfortunately it fell short from my expectations, it was very dry. Not what i was expecting at all.
If you manage to make it there try something else. Appetizer and dessert where good.
Service on the other hand was great very nice waitress, attentive to our wants and always came by to make sure we had what we needed. A+

Awesome food. Great service. Amazingly accommodating. Military friendly. We will definitely return… Next time I’m in Miami

Yesterday, I went back with a friend to try the food for a second time. I had the opportunity to talk to the Manager regarding my first visit, when I got very sick because of the pork sandwich. I was sharing the details with her and she didn ‘t show she cared.
This time around, I ordered chicken soup and my friend had malanga soup. We both got sick again. Secondly we ordered fried plantains and it was sad. They looked like they had been soaked in oil and they had been in the back for along time. You can tell when they are freshly made. I do not have the name of the gentleman that came to our table to take back the plantains because he was very rude. when he asked him t if he could please change them. His response in a rude way was, they are going to come out the same. When he came back, he brought the greasy plantains and we could not eat them. They gave us a credit. I will never ever return to this restaurant.

Comida genial y muy buena presentación.
Ambiente vivo y alegre además de que las decoraciones están geniales.
Mi primera ves que pruebo las raíces de malanga (las pedí fritas) y están deliciosas.
Volvería a venir sin que me tengan que decir.

Ese restaurante no sirve mucha bulla entre los empleados discutiendo, la comida no tiene sabor y los baños sucios .Muy mala calidad, además
No dejen Tip ya que los dueños se quedan con el mismo, esto fue dicho por la empleada que hizo la orden en la mesa

The restaurant looks like you are walking into a house, it is small and cozy. We were greeted by whom I think was the owner, he was very welcoming. The food was alright, the presentation of the dishes was nice.
We will come again if we are in the area.

Legit !!!
My mother and father had been telling me for a few weeks now to try
” Malanga Café «He had seen some advertising on TV and thought the food looked delicious. Being hispanic and having a mother who whips up authentic cuban food we judge restaurant’s that specialize in Cuban Cuisine very harshly. Growing up it’s pretty much all I ate. Looking back it was like eating out everyday. Therefore, now being at the age where your the one treating your parents and taking them out to eat to locations that specialize in the very food they grew up on and make on a daily basis, you can image they have quite a lot to say about the food and how it compares to what they cook and they grew up with.
It was quite a drive for us coming from North Miami Dade County in Miami Lakes, FL but reflecting back it was quite worth the drive. My in-​laws were in town and I thought it was quite the opportunity to give this a shot since there from Gainesville, FL and there is a lack of hispanic restaurant’s in the city.
I had called ahead for table and I arrived very late, I want to say maybe 30 min or more but the hostess was still able to get us a table for all of us. The restaurant it self is on the smaller side but there is outdoor seating and is very cozy, the décor makes it seem larger. There are photo’s of famous cuban artist and actors all over the wall. In addition to hispanic décor and music instruments. One of my favorite sections of the restaurant was the wall when you walking in that has several cuban slang sayings written on the wall. It was quite nice. We were fortunate to have are order taken by one of the owners of the restaurant. It was nice to see a business man taking orders and bringing out food with the rest of the staff, very refreshing the hospitality and customer service they provided.
We started of with and ordered the following:
Malanga Fritters:
They were fried to perfection, you can tell the oil was fresh since it had good color. They were steaming hit and were paired with what tasted like a guava sauce under a garlic with mayo dressing. This paired very well. It was very similar to conch fritters but with a great malanga taste. They had a small kick to them and were very delicious.
Crema de Malanga:
This was very good. Growing up this was something I had quite often and it was very well made. I like mine a little more salty so I added some salt to it. However, you if don’t like salty food, it was just right. Very creamy and rich in flavor and had a touch of parmesan cheese on top. Great Soup
El Santiaguero:
WOW WOW WOW… This was the kitchen sink. It consist of red beans, white rice, small chunks or pork, fried sweet plantains with onions, tomato. It’s served in a tortilla shell with everything on top. Yes everything on top, with a little umbrella for décor. Pretty much telling you the rain came down!!! LOL — This is a lot of food. I can eat and I didn’t finish it, I can tell you it was very good. The beans had very good seasoning and the rice was soft and flacky. The pork was tender and soft with marinade and amazing flavor, those sweet plantains made everything go together very good. Just like at home. Now if your used to having your food in separate plates you might find this odd because it’s literally all together, but I can tell you it taste great !!!
Bistec de Cerdo:
Amazing, very good flavor, and cooked perfectly. It had a smoky flavor and was quite big to be honest in size. This was paired with congri which is like moro and fried
tostones. All delicious! It came with a cup of guava sauce which was tasty and fried onions as well. Very good dish!
We all ordered more food, but this is what I tasted. Again I was impressed with everything I tried can this could be one of the best places I have been for cuban food.
They bring your bill in a cigar box which is very creative and native to all cubans. Duh Cigars!!!
I’ll be back to try the rest of there menu.

I was born and raised in Miami and had a lot of Cuban food from many different places, but Malanga surpassed them all! It is the BEST Cuban restaurant in Miami by far! I went there on a Saturday with my family and they all loved it as well! I had the Shredded Chicken Plate which included onions and garlic in a tropical mango sauce. It tasted amazing! The tropical mango sauce was just right, not to bitter and not too sweet. On the side, I had plantains and tostones. Both these sides were cooked just right! The plantains were even a little over cooked which I happen to like. I also had a bite of the Media Noche sandwich and it was perfectly cooked with the perfect amount of meat! Since I’m visiting from out-​of-​town, I need to get in all the Cuban cuisine I can fit in during that week!
I definitely recommend this restaurant to families of all ages and sizes! It was truly delightful!